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Terrorism/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A robot, Moby, opens his front door, looks down, and sees a letter on top of the newspaper. Moby picks them both up and closes the door. A boy, Tim, reads from the typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, What is terrorism? It's been in the news a lot, and I know it's happening, but WHAT is it?!? From, Joe. TIM: That's a really good question. When you listen to the news these days, you hear these words all the time and you don't always know what they mean. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yeah, I know, I should look things up more, too. Anyway, in the most general sense, a terrorist is someone who spreads violence and fear to achieve some kind of political goal. An image shows people looking at a wanted sign offering reward money. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Right, it's actually a really complicated word, and it's not always clear if an act of violence is terrorism or not. But here, let's look at some examples. A terrorist might hijack, or forcefully take over, a plane to make the government let his friends out of prison. Similarly, you could argue that a bank robber who takes hostages is also a terrorist. Images show a passenger airplane and a bank robber with a gun in one hand and his other arm wrapped around the neck of a hostage. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Oh, a hostage is someone who is held against their will with a threat of violence against them. A terrorist pretty much always relies on threats of violence, targeted killings, kidnappings, poisonings, hijackings, bombings, or suicide bombings. MOBY: Beep. TIM: A suicide bomber is one who is willing to kill himself in order to hurt or kill others with explosives. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Yeah, I know. See, in a traditional war, soldiers try to destroy military targets while leaving regular people, or civilians, alone. Images of civilians are seen through night vision binoculars. TIM: But terrorists usually go after civilians; they may target places like commuter trains, restaurants, or apartment buildings. And unlike most soldiers who wear uniforms, terrorists aren't that easy to identify. They try to blend in to their surroundings, so it's hard to catch them before they start taking action. Side by side images show a soldier in uniform and a terrorist in regular clothes. Ordinary American citizens appear in the background to show how the soldier stands out, but the terrorist blends in. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, it's tricky, Moby. You know, some people might actually consider certain soldiers terrorists, depending on the situation. I mean, some soldiers do go into civilian areas to try to find enemy targets, which can cause fear, confusion, or violence. An animation shows armed soldiers conducting a mission in a civilian area. TIM: On the flip side, many organized terrorists consider themselves special soldiers fighting for a common cause. So I guess it really depends on your point of view. MOBY: Beep! TIM: Well, most people would agree that there are a lot more effective and peaceful ways to have your message heard. An animation shows large images of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi. Under the images are the silhouettes of people protesting and holding up signs for freedom and equality. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Terrorism has existed throughout the world for thousands of years. Even the ancient Roman Empire had to deal with it. An animation shows an ancient Roman man with a knife chasing another man. They run past the Roman coliseum. TIM: But today, with advanced weaponry and communications, terrorists are more dangerous than ever. You might be too young to remember what happened on September 11, 2001. MOBY: Beep. TIM: A group of people from the international terrorist network al Qaeda hijacked four huge airliners. Text reads: al Qaeda. Four airplane images are shown. TIM: One flew into the Pentagon, the government building near Washington, D.C., and two were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City. The jet fuel in the planes caused fires to rage uncontrollably in the towers, and they both collapsed. Side by side images show the Pentagon and the World Trade Center towers. Then the twin towers disappear from the New York skyline. TIM: The fourth plane was probably intended for another target in Washington, but it crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. A U.S. map shows a plane headed toward Washington D.C. but going down over Pennsylvania. TIM: 9/11 was a highly planned and coordinated event, and it shook the world. If you want to learn more, you can check out our movie on September 11th. Text reads: 9/11. The 11 is shaped like the twin towers. TIM: Another terrorist event in recent history was the Oklahoma City bombing. In 1995, several American terrorists worked together to blow up a government office building in Oklahoma. A U.S. map shows Oklahoma City. A callout shows the government building before it was bombed. TIM: In all, 168 people were killed and more the 800 others were injured. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, there are lots of reasons that terrorists do what they do. Terrorist groups can be based on all sorts of ideals, including the desire to occupy certain lands; the desire for independence from a larger nation; the belief in certain religious or political principles; or the desire to stop certain cultural practices. Images illustrate the reasons behind terrorist attacks as Tim describes. MOBY: Beep. TIM: The thing is, you can't really end terrorism. It's been around forever and there are always gonna be a few jerks around who are willing to kill for some misguided cause. Side by side images show the ancient Roman holding a knife and the modern day terrorist in regular clothes. TIM: But since terrorism is designed to cause fear, the easiest cure is to not be afraid. When we're scared, we sometimes react before thinking things through. That kind of action can be more harmful than helpful. If you're informed and prepared, you can respond to any situation calmly and intelligently. That's a much better way to act! Read the newspaper, listen to the radio, and watch the news to stay in touch with what's going on around you. Images show a newspaper and radio. An animation shows a news anchor broadcasting the news. TIM: Usually, if there's a threat of an attack, the government will let the media know.Five alert levels for terrorist threats appear next to the news anchor. The top level is severe and the bottom level is low. TIM: Another thing to keep in mind is that terrorist attacks are relatively rare. They make the headlines a lot, but you're a lot less likely to get injured in some sort of terrorist attack than in, say, a car crash. That said, you should talk with your family about how you'll get in touch in the event of an emergency. Tim and Moby are shown sitting at a table with Tim's parents. There is a phone, sheets of paper, and a pen on the table. TIM: It's also a good idea to have a ready kit of supplies you might need in case something does happen. An image shows a Ready Kit: first aid kit, duct tape, money, batteries, and food in a wrapper. All of these items are placed in a backpack. TIM: You're not scared, are you Moby? MOBY: Beep. Moby shakes his head. TIM: And I'm not scared, 'cause I've got you to protect me, right? MOBY: Beep. Moby gives Tim a huge hug. TIM: Ow, you're crushing me.Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Social Studies Transcripts